The Ancient Sailing Season

By James Beresford

Providing a comprehensive examination of the capacity of ancient ships and seafarers to cope with seasonally changing sea conditions, this book draws on a wide range of ancient literary sources while also taking account of modern weather records, hydrological data, and recent archaeological discoveries. Taking a fresh look at the various ways in which seasonality affected maritime transport across the sea-lanes of the ancient world, this book offers new perspectives on the nature of seaborne trade, naval warfare and piratical operations. The result is a volume that questions many long-held scholarly assumptions concerning the strength and seaworthiness of ancient vessels, as well as the abilities of Greek and Roman mariners, to regularly undertake voyages across hazardous stretches of sea.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9004223525
• ISBN13: 9789004223523
• Release Date: November 2012
• Publisher: Brill
• Length: 380 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.3" x 9.5"